Creating and sustaining international projects between schools

1. Connecting Classrooms
The Story of a Partnership

2. The famous Bengali Nobel Laureate, poet,
philosopher, educationalist and author of the
National Anthem for Bangladesh ‘Amar Shonar
Bangla’
‘Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was
born in another time’
Rabindranath Tagore

3.  Shared Values
 Education for Sustainable Development
 Peace Education
 Gender Education
 Citizenship
 World Studies
 Multicultural Celebration
 Breaking down Stereotypes
 Human Rights
Global Citizenship for All

4.  Complete profile on CCO and add a photograph
 Enthusiastic initial greeting, introduction, background and
experience.
 Name of school and type of education offered with age range of
students to be involved in the partnership.
 Suggested project outline with expected outcomes.
 Potential curriculum areas to be addressed.
 What your school can offer to potential partners to create an
equal partnership.
 Suggested first steps with a way forward.
 Indicate where the response can be posted.
The First Steps in Building the
Relationship

5. Dear Fatima,
I was very interested in your suggestion for a partnership between our two countries. My name
is Anne Jakins and I am an experienced and enthusiastic teacher from Sackville School East
Grinstead which is in the UK I am keen to involve my students in a Connecting Classrooms Online
experience. My school is situated in an rural area with many of the students involved in farming
and working on the land with their parents.
I am currently working with a group of 14 year old students who would like to get involved in a
project with your school.
I am interested in starting a project on the importance of rivers to the local community which
would compare and contrast the way rivers are used in our regions. Our students are currently
involved in a Geography project and would value this opportunity to learn more about your
country while showing your students how industry and tourism fits into our culture. We can be
flexible though and would be very interested to hear your ideas.
My students and I are looking forward to your response on the CCO forum.
Regards
First Communication

6.  Science
 Literacy and Language
 Geography
 Mathematics
 Environmental Studies
 Technology
 Religious Studies
 Cultural Education
Curriculum Development

7.  Raising standards in literacy and language
 Using an additional language
 Enhancing technologies
 Problem solving
 Building self confidence and a sense of personal identity
 Meeting the Global Millennium Targets
 Enhancing health and well-being
 Exchanging ideas in the Expressive Arts The First Steps in
Building the Relationship
Raising Standards

8.  Students
 Teachers
 Head-Teachers
 Non- Teaching Staff
 Parents
 Wider Community
An Educational Opportunity for
Everyone

9.  What do we know about each other’s countries?
 What do we know about each other’s lives?
What have we learnt?
How have our opinions changed?
Exploring Stereotypes:
before and after the partnership

10.  Where is this place?
 What does it look like?
 What is it like to live there?
 How is this place changing?
 What are the issues affecting people who live there?
 Why is this place special?
Learning about Distant Localities

11. Learning outcomes
 Looking for opinion and bias
 Empathy towards others globally
 Growing interest in events globally
 Growing respect for difference and diversity
 Understanding of the relationship between people
and their environment
Villages in Bangladesh and the UK

12. Perceptions

13. Learning Intention
Increase awareness of similarities and differences between
students so they gain a sense of self worth
Activity
 I really like......
 Something that makes me happy is ......
 One thing that is important to me is ......
 Something I would like to change is ......
All About Me

14. Afghanistan/UK
Digital Diary Dialogues
Kites for Kids
Custom and Tradition
The Story of a Partnership

15. 1. Develop a partnership over time – keep it simple
and make learning fun.
2. Get to know each other.
3. Join in much as possible.
First Steps to a Successful Project

16. First Case Study :Digital Diary
Dialogues

17. Digital Diary Dialogues
an eTwinning mobile learning project
Digital Diary Dialogues is a creative ‘student voice’ focused
innovative ‘mobile learning’ eTwinning project. The focus of this
project is cross curricular, multi age and stage with peer to peer
learning activities at the core and is based on the use of the
Nokia N95 as a ‘learning tool’ for students in Finland, Scotland,
England and Afghanistan creating and exchanging micro blogs
and learning objects.

18. Challenges
 Finding meaningful connectivity
 Overcoming unreliable electricity supply and lack of
Internet access
 Creating opportunities for effective cultural
exchange.
 Professional development for teachers
 Developing creative solutions
 Engaging external organisations to provide support

19. Digital Diary Dialogues
Effective use of mobile
phone technology as a
learning and
communication tool
Using international links as
a creative means of
motivating students
Mobile phone safety
Sharing pedagogies across
the partnership
Extended learning

20. Digital Diary Dialogues
Week 1
Getting to know you
8am 11am 1pm 4pm 8pm

21. Digital Diary Dialogues
Week 2 - Life in a Week
Monday - sports and games
Tuesday - school clothes and
environment
Wednesday - curriculum and school
activities
Thursday - friends (who and where)
Friday - family and home
Saturday - clothes and social life
Sunday - food

22. Digital Diary Dialogues
Week 3
What makes me happy.
What makes me sad.

23. Digital Diary Dialogues
Week 4 – Spring
Y10 students created and
micro blogged learning
objects via the mobile phone
Images of the signs of spring
created by students using
mobile phone digital video
and stills exchanged
Text message haikus
expressing their thoughts
and feelings about the
coming of spring.

24. 1. Learn from each other
2. Use opportunities as they arrive
3. Work together on joint interests
4. Use local community and newspapers to generate
interest
The Second Stage

25. Second Project

26. Kites for Kids eTwinning
and
Connecting
Classrooms

27. Following
instructions
Mobile
technology and
QR codes
Design and
construction
Science and
maths
Values
Literature
Technologies explored
Kites for Kids

28. Kites in the Curriculum

29.  Michael Morpurgo
 Writing skills, self confidence
 Students sharing learning
 Breaking down barriers – support ASC
The Kites are Flying

30. Third Case Study: Custom and Tradition

31. Google Docs and more

32. 1. Find things that you have in common and respect
the differences
2. Ask lots of questions
3. Take an interest in people and their lives
4. Keep in regular contact - technology can help
...and finally